Change in job stress and job satisfaction over a two-year interval using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND

The relationship between job stress and job satisfaction by the follow-up study should be more evaluated for workers' health support.

OBJECTIVE

Job stress is strongly affected by the content of the job and the personality of a worker. This study was focused on determining the changes of the job stress and job satisfaction levels over a two-year interval, using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ).

METHODS

This self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the same 310 employees of a Japanese industrial company in 2009 and 2011. Sixty-one employees were lost from 371 responders in 2009. Data of 16 items from 57 items graded on a four-point Likert-type scale to measure the job stressors, psycho-physical complaints and support for workers, job overload (six items), job control (three items), support (six items) and job satisfaction score (one item) were selected for the analysis.

RESULTS

The age-adjusted partial correlation coefficients for job overload, job control and support were 0.684 (p< 0.001), 0.474 (p< 0.001) and 0.612 (p< 0.001), respectively. The concordance correlation coefficient (and 95% confidence interval indicated within parentheses) for job overload, job control and support were 0.681 (0.616-0.736), 0.473 (0.382-0.555), and 0.623 (0.549-0.687), respectively. There were no significant differences in the mean score for job overload, job control or support, although significant decline in the job satisfaction level was apparent at the end of the two-year period (p< 0.05). There was also a significant decline in the job satisfaction in 2009 and in 2011 for subjects with keeping low job strain.

CONCLUSIONS

No significant changes in the scores on the three elements of job stress were observed over the two-year study period, and the job satisfaction level deteriorated significantly during this period. There was a decline in the job satisfaction in the two-year period, although subjects did not suffer from job stress at the same period.